Rockwell DNA Project: updates and news

On August 1, 2007, Relative Genetics announced some changes to some of the markers used in the test. The alleles for a given locus were adjusted to reflect new standards in the field. The upshot for us is that the alleles determined during past tests have changed by a set amount:

1. DYS-442 increases by 5. So the standard value shown in the table of results in the book's DNA essay changes from 12 to 17.
2. DYS-452 increases by 19. So the standard value shown in the table of results in the book's DNA essay changes from 11 to 30.
3. DYS-463 increases by 2. So the standard value shown in the table of results in the book's DNA essay changes from 22 to 24.
4. Y-GATA-A10 increases by 2. So the standard value shown in the table of results in the book's DNA essay changes from 11 to 13.
5. Y-GATA-H4 changes its official name to GATA-H4.1, and increases by 10. So the standard value shown in the table of results in the book's DNA essay changes from 12 to 22.

For the official communication explaining these changes, click here.

Another nomenclature change, reported Aug. 24, 2007, results in the increase by 1 to alleles at DYS-441. Thus, the standard value for the Rockwell haplotype has been changed from 13 to 14. Here's the announcement.

A recent upgrade of the sample for a descendant of Uriah Rockwell (column D in the table accompanying the DNA essay) shows the standard alleles for all values; it matches columns A and R. This has implications for the question of John of Butternuts (column ). If a 43-marker test were done on descendants of John and Simmons, and a mutation appeared in both, this would be evidence that Simmons was his father, while lack of a mutation in John that appeared in Simmons's haplotype would indicate that Uriah was his father. Any qualified volunteers?

Return to the home page for the John Rockwell genealogy